The Iranian Resistance has disclosed new intelligence regarding the clerical regime’s covert efforts to develop nuclear warheads for solid-fuel missiles with a range exceeding 3,000 kilometers. These revelations, unveiled during a press conference by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Washington, expose the regime’s secret activities at the Shahrud and Semnan missile sites.
The Source of Information
The information was provided by the Defense and Strategic Research Committee of the NCRI, based on reports from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The PMOI/MEK has a credible track record of uncovering details about Iran’s clandestine nuclear program.
Shahrud Missile Site: Hub of Nuclear Warhead Development
The primary location for the regime’s nuclear warhead project is the Shahrud missile site, where the Organization for Advanced Defense Research (SPND) has expanded its operations significantly. SPND was established to consolidate Iran’s nuclear bomb development activities.
Key Details About Shahrud’s Activities:
The site houses a militarized zone with IRGC aerospace experts, where unauthorized personnel face arrest.
It contains testing facilities and launchpads disguised as a satellite program.
Iran is focusing on the Ghaem-100 missile, a solid-fuel, mobile missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It has replaced the Shahab-3 missile and is modeled after a North Korean design.
The regime is using a fake satellite program as a cover to develop independent satellite communication for tracking nuclear warheads.
The Role of Key Figures:
Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, an IRGC brigadier general, approved the Ghaem missile before his death in a 2011 test launch. He had personally overseen the Shahrud site’s development.
Brigadier General Ali Jafarabadi, his successor, currently leads the Ghaem-100 project, working alongside experts from Imam Hossein University.
The Salman Farsi Space Command, founded in 2011, oversees space and missile activities at Shahrud.
Semnan: Iran’s Underground Nuclear Testing Facility
In addition to Shahrud, Iran has significantly expanded the SPND facility in Semnan. This site is officially designated for testing the Simorgh missile, a supposed satellite launch vehicle, but evidence indicates it is being used for nuclear weapons development.
Key Aspects of the Semnan Facility:
Much of the facility operates underground, with recent expansions under the guise of space research.
The “Khomeini Space Launch Terminal” has grown from two to eight facilities since 2005, connected by underground tunnels.
The Simorgh missile, also modeled after a North Korean design, is suspected of nuclear weapons applications.
The SPND Geophysics Group, specializing in high-explosive detonations, conducts underground nuclear tests in the desert south of the site.
The group is linked to Iran’s top geophysics institutions, including the University of Tehran and Shahrud University, to conceal its true activities.
Other Covert Sites: Sorkhe Hesar
SPND has also expanded operations at the Sorkhe Hesar site near Tehran. Initially exposed in 2020, activities at this site have since grown, further supporting Iran’s secret nuclear program.
The Regime’s Deception Strategy
To obscure its nuclear ambitions, Iran’s regime has established a Directorate for Nuclear Treaties within SPND. This unit operates under the Supreme National Security Council, the regime’s highest security decision-making body. Its mission is to conceal nuclear warhead activities while maintaining the illusion of compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
The SPND Geophysics Group maintains close coordination with this directorate to ensure secrecy.
Comments by Soona Samsami
Soona Samsami, NCRI’s U.S. representative, highlighted the regime’s history of deception, pointing to:
- The use of missile and satellite projects as covers for nuclear warhead development.
- A confidential memo indicating Tehran’s strategy to prolong negotiations with Western nations, hoping to evade sanctions until the sunset clause in UN Security Council Resolution 2231 takes effect.
- A history of deception in nuclear negotiations, including Hassan Rouhani’s admission that Iran used talks with Europe (2003-2005) to complete nuclear facilities in Isfahan.
- A 2019 confession by former nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi that Iran secretly preserved nuclear equipment despite its commitments under the 2015 JCPOA agreement.
Iran’s Nuclear Threat in 2025
Since 2025, Iran has:
- Enriched uranium to unprecedented levels.
- Expanded its nuclear infrastructure.
- Accelerated warhead development.
- Conducted covert nuclear detonator tests, first revealed in December 2024.
Despite the JCPOA and negotiations, Iran has continued its nuclear bomb program, systematically concealing its weaponization efforts from the IAEA.
A Call for Action: Holding Iran Accountable
The Iranian Resistance warns that Iran’s regime, now weaker than ever, is more determined to obtain a nuclear bomb to shift the regional power balance. Simultaneously, the regime has intensified domestic repression, executing over 1,000 people in 2024, while increasing nuclear activities.
Proposed Actions for the International Community:
- Activate the snapback mechanism to reinstate all six UN Security Council resolutions against Iran. Lifting sanctions has only emboldened Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
- Shut down all Iranian nuclear facilities, including all uranium enrichment sites, and grant the IAEA unrestricted access to all declared and undeclared locations.
- Impose severe consequences for further violations—diplomatic engagement without accountability has only facilitated Iran’s continued deception.
Conclusion
The Iranian regime has never voluntarily abandoned any aspect of its nuclear weapons program. While it may offer minor concessions, it remains committed to achieving a nuclear arsenal. The revelations about the Shahrud and Semnan sites, along with Iran’s history of deceit, underscore the urgent need for firm international action to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and threatening global security.